A few years ago we took a look at which neighborhoods in the Atlanta region spent the most money annually on candy in an effort to determine where the best candy for Trick-or-Treaters was. Since then, we’ve realized that we would be remiss if we didn’t take into consideration the possible impacts of the built environment on Halloween night festivities! As such, we’ve created another map (below) to help determine which neighborhood environments are most conducive to the pitter-patter of little feet on the sidewalk and the giggling of children.
Figure 1: Spatial Similarities? Walkability and Kid Presence (Sources: EPA, Census Bureau, ARC RAD)
In the map above, census block groups shown in purple scored the highest on the EPA’s National Walkability Index. This Index takes into consideration street intersection density, proximity to transit stops, and diversity of land uses to determine the likelihood that people living there walk as a mode of transportation. On the other hand, the census tracts shown in orange above indicate areas in the Atlanta region with children under the age of 18, as estimated by the 2022 5-year American Community Survey.
Do you live in a purple neighborhood that borders an orange neighborhood? If so, you might want to stock up on candy, because chances are the kids next door and their teen chaperones will be at your door on October 31st requesting sweet treats! Happy Halloween!